Fritschi Diamir Titanal 3 Alpine Touring Binding

Know those teles you never use? Now's the perfect time to rid yourself of those floppy bindings and free your skis for backcountry glee. Yes, glee. That's what the Black Diamond Titanal 3 alpine touring binding was designed to deliver—an intense feeling of euphoria. Some attribute this feeling to a condition called hypoxia, which can be induced by long, strenuous high alpine ski tours. But we're convinced that well-acclimated athletes will smile broadly and giggle loudly at the sight of their once-neglected skis being mounted with Titanal 3s acquired at this stellar price. They make touring up enjoyable, and the 3-10 DIN keeps your gear on your feet as you descend through pristine powder fields. Long size fits boot sole length 325-365mm.

On Sale
~~$248.95~~ $149.95

Great AT Binding!
This binding is perfect for all conditions, all the time. Great in the resort (sturdy, releasable, easy to use) and great in the backcountry too. Once while skinning up to a yurt, I had a really heavy pack on. When I wanted to stop and take my skis off, it was really easy to just push on the heel release and exit out of the bindings without taking my pack off. And then when I was going up a steep z-track, it was really easy lifting up the heel risers with my ski pole, again without taking off my pack. Anyone who has had a really heavy pack on while skinning can appreciate this. I also have the brakes, they work excellent and can be removed easily with a phillips screwdriver. I used to not have the brakes and used the velcro straps that come with them. The brakes are much better, worth every ounce more. I used to have the Titanal 1 bindings, the big difference I have noticed in the version 3 model is the heel risers. They used to not stay in the upright position while touring, they would slip down a notch (pain in the ass). The version 3 stays in place wonderfully, even when you have to really stomp hard to get that skin to stick to the snow. Bottom line: Excellent AT binding, bomber, will last a long time.

Great
The only problem with these bindings is that now every downhill skier will find out how easy it is to explore the backcountry - our once quiet, serene mountainscape is already covered in figure 8s after just a few hours of freshies! I am very pleased with these bindings: they are lightweight, easy to adjust for touring and work just like any other downhill binding for aggressive turns in all snow conditions.

Change from Silvretta to Fritschi
I recently bought a new randonee setup. For the last six years I have been using the Silvretta 404 and was quite happy with it because of its simplicity and reliability. My new setup has the Fritschi Titanal 3. What an improvement! Only now do I have real step-in functionality, there are three compared to one ascender positions, and there is much less torque on uneven terrain. If the Fritschi stays as reliable as the 404 in terms of structural integrity, then I will never go back.

Titanal 3
Excellent binding. I've used it the in rough situations here in Iceland and I can't say a bad thing about it. I also used these bindings where I was working as a ski instructor in Austria among 50 other instructors. There were only 5 pairs of skis with these bindings. The skis were specially short and the school owned them. They were intended to be used while instructing small children because they go all over the place and very often over the skis and bindings of the instructor. I can say that these skis weren't treated well :-) All the same the bindings could handle it 10 hours a day every day. They are probably still using the same bindings. The company is also very helpful. I had an accident there in Iceland and the heel broke off the binding. I called Fritschi in Sviss and they instantly sent me the spare parts. I´ve had a lot of bindings over the years but these bindings are the one I trust!

These are sweet!
Well, what can I say? These are the best AT bindings I have ever used. Period. Very light, very easy to use, multiple heel stops for the way up, good brakes, too. What more could you want? Worth every dollar spent.

Training Tips

Efficient running position allows you to run farther and faster. Keep the heel raise to a minimum, relax your upper body and hands, keep your upper body poised and quiet.

If you want to make progess in your training, join a running group. A commitment to meet on a regular basis with a group of like minded individuals will help you keep your focus.

An efficient long distance running stride will have you landing on your heal first and rolling to the front of your toes.

One of the most mentally toughening things you can do as a runner who trains daily is to add a morning run into your routine. This means you are doing two runs a day. The morning run is simply more of a mental challenge then anything else.